The Alliance of Men and Elves
by Arindwen Greenleaf
Summary: As war builds in the East, a stranger comes to Mirkwood seeking to reform an old union. However as the plot thickens one Prince finds not only danger but love in the most unexpected places. (Was recently Untitled Legolas Fic)
1. Of Elves and Men

~*~ ~*~

Clop-clop, clop-clop. Sigh. Clop-clop, clop-clop. 

Arindwen sat moodily on her bay horse Isendre, watching the dark forest grow nearer. Not for the first time did she curse her bad luck at being sent on this mission. A mission to the Elves. 

Elves.. The highborn folk who slept in trees and lazed around all day brushing their long hair and pretending to be above all the petty doings of men. Elves. She disliked and distrusted Elves. 

Arindwen glared at the dark trees ahead of her. Her father, King Theoden, had sent her as an emissary to the King of Mirkwood, Thranduil, and his Lady in a desperate plea for help. Theoden was in need of a thousand good archers to help fight off the steady stream of Orcs that were invading his lands. 

So, needing an emissary, King Theoden had chosen his daughter, Arindwen, a young woman in her early twenties who was the commander of his archer regiment.

Arindwen was tall, slender, and beautiful, though she thought otherwise, and could best any of the men in her regiment at a tournament. She had shoulder length chesnut brown hair that waved gently in the breeze and she wore a riding tunic of a dark reddish-brown color with dark green pants and black boots. Her cloak was of a deep forest green color and blended perfectly with the trees. Strapped to her back was her black long bow and a quiver full of arrows, and on her slender hips she wore a belt with two hunting knives sharpened to a fine edge and a long slender sword. All in all she was a very formidable foe if one chose to incorrectly cross her path. 

Isendre slowed from a quick trot to a slow walk as they came upon the outer set of trees. Mirkwood was known for its unusual animals, if one could call them animals, streams that if you were to drink even a drop of the water would make you sleep for a thousand years, and of course Woodelves. Arindwen pursed her lips.

"I know, Isendre, but we don't have much choice," she said quietly to her mount. "Its either go through the forest or face Father's wrath which is something I am not prepared to do." She sighed. "There's no choice," and with those words she spurred her horse into the woods. 

~*~ ~*~

The dense canopy of trees and the lack of light pressed in on Arindwen. She shivered and pulled her cloak closer about herself. "One does not travel in Mirkwood lightly," she commented to her mount and Isendre shook her head in agreement. They moved quickly and quietly along a well worn path, always on guard for an attack or sudden movement in the trees. But for all their careful guard and watchfulness, nothing stirred in the forest and no sudden movements came from either side. 

The light began to gradually dim as the sun passed its peak and began decending into the far and distant mountains of the Dwarves. Arindwen pursed her lips and grimaced. She knew would have to spend a few nights in the open until she could get to Thranduil's palace, but it that fact did not cheer her in the least. Glaring around as if to challenge anyone watching her, Arindwen began searching for a sheltered place just off the path. By the time she found one, the light was rapidly receding from the forest and she knew that if she did not get a fire built before total nightfall she would have some very unwelcome guests to dinner. 

Her small fire crackled merrily in the gloom of the woods. Or at least tried to. Arindwen wondered dispiritedly if anything could be merry in this forest, day or night. She had already had to kill four creatures and was sure that she would not last the night with the record she had set by now. Isendre was placidly munching on some oats that Arindwen had brought for her and seemed unaware or uncaring of the dangers of the forest. As long as she had her oats, she was satisfied, Arindwen noted with a grimace. _Lazy animal... _

She suddenly froze. There was something not right. Where there had been soft birdsong and the usual forest sounds there was silence. It was as if the forests was holding its breath.. Waiting.. Waiting for... 

The attack came from her left side. A hedious creature with blood red eyes, long fangs, and short bristly fur hurled itself at her. Taken off guard, Arindwen stumbled and fell back on her haunches. The creature landed and again launched itself at her, but Arindwen was ready. Her sword out, she deftly cloved the creature in two as it came at her. It died with a horrible shriek that rattled Arindwen down to her teeth. But that was not all. More creatures were now coming out of the forest and their evil multicolored eyes glittered in the fire light. Arindwen pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her bow, nocking at arrow to it. Aiming, she shot the first one at the closest creature. The arrow pierced its skull and it dropped like a stone. The other creatures paused at this and this gave Arindwen time to reload and fire another shot off into the oncoming horde. This riled them up and before she knew it, Arindwen was surrounded on all sides by the darkest of Mirkwood's creatures. 

THWIP! THWIP! Two creatures suddenly went down right in front of Arindwen, both sporting slender green arrows in their sides. The horde went into a frenzy and began running every which way. Arindwen, temporarily stunned by the arrival of the new arrows now took her own bow and set about polishing off the stragglers of the group. Then, suddenly, there were no more creatures. Arindwen relaxed slightly and lowered her bow, sighing in relief. 

"Daro." Arindwen froze, gaze glued to the trees in front of her. She could feel the presence of another beside her and knew that her new guest was armed. "Put your weapon down," said a soft but stern male voice in the commom tongue. Arindwen did as she was told and laid her bow and quiver down on the ground by her feet. "Turn around," the voice commanded and she did so. 

What met her gaze at first was the sight of the tip of an arrow pointed straight at her heart. Her eyebrows rose slightly as her gaze did and as she looked into the face of her new guest, her heart skipped a beat in spite of herself. A young male Elf, she would guess in his late teens to early twenties in human years, was standing there holding a tall gray long bow with an arrow nocked and pointed squarely at her heart. His face was fair and his skin looked smooth, and he had long blonde hair which sported two tiny braids behind each pointed ear. And his eyes... His eyes were a soft blue-grey and reminded Arindwen of the sea, of starlight, or of rainy days on the Rohan plains near her father's castle. Truely mesmerizing they were and Arindwen found she was staring. She blinked and gave her head a tiny shake and frowned at herself. The Elf with the bow never moved a muscle. 

"What business brings you to Mirkwood?" he asked. Arindwen pulled herself together and tried to regain some of her composure. 

"I have business with the King Thranduil and his Lady." 

"Of what nature?" Arindwen hesitated. She was reluctant to divulge so much information to a stranger and an Elf at that, no matter how beautiful and pleasing he was to look at. She grimaced slightly and spoke.

"I am here as an emissary from King Theoden of the Rohan people. My king is in desperate need of men and has sent me to ask the King and his Lady if they could possibly assist us in our fight against the Orcs who have been invading our homeland." Arindwen found she could not hold the Elf's gaze for long and so dropped her gaze to the dead creatures scattered around her fire. The Elf seemed to be contemplating her story. 

"Very well, then," he announced and let down his draw, denocking his arrow and returning it to his quiver. Arindwen relaxed a little and once more lifted her gaze to that of the young man's before her. There was a tightness around his eyes as if looking upon her was some how difficult for him. Arindwen again found herself captured by his eyes and jumped when he began to speak. 

"I am called Legolas Greenleaf," he said softly and reached for her right shoulder, placing a firm and gentle hand on it. 

"I am called Arindwen of Rohan," she said and placed her hand on his left shoulder feeling the strong yet silky material his overtunic was made of. Legolas released her shoulder and stepped back. Arindwen's hand fell to her side. He turned to the dead creatures that littered her campsite and set about removing them. He took his arrows, cleaned them, and returned them to his quiver. 

"Why did you come to my aid," Arindwen asked him as they cleaned the campsite and desposed of the dead creatures in the wood. Legolas paused in wiping an arrow tip clean on the grass. 

"It is my job to protect those who are foolish enough to wander in to Mirkwood without a companion or a guide," he announced and returned the arrow to his quiver. Arindwen arched an eyebrow at him and bit back a very sarcastic comment. 

When the campsite was deviod of dead bodies, Arindwen turned her attention to the fire. It had gone during the skirmish with the creatures so Arindwen gently blew on the embers and restocked her supply of wood. The Elf was crouched on the opposite side of the fire, watching her. Arindwen felt like a bird being stalked by a cat. It was a most unnerving feeling. 

Feeling too tired to cook a meal, Arindwen pulled some cheese and bread from her travelling bag, the Elf watching every movement she made. Feeling uncomfortable, Arindwen extended a bit of cheese and bread to Legolas who regarded her for several moments before accepting the food. 

"Thank you," he said quietly. Arindwen nodded silently and continued with her meal. 

After they were done, Arindwen sat on the ground, occasionally stoking the fire with a long stick. 

"Thanks," she murmured to the Elf who gazed at her from across the fire. She did not look at him. "Thank you for saving me from those...things.." The Elf-Legolas was it?-shifted slightly. 

"You are welcome," he said in a quiet voice. 

"I was wondering," Arindwen said, "whether or not you are part of the King's court?" She glanced at him and found his expression to be unreadable. Legolas paused.

"I am familiar with his court and palace," he said. 

"Ah.." Arindwen nodded. "And are you on your way there?" Legolas nodded silently. 

"Ahh.." she remarked. A sudden noise to her right made both of them jump. Arindwen's hand went for her sword and Legolas went for his bow, an arrow already nocked and the bow string pulled taut. When nothing emerged from the woods both Legolas and Arindwen relaxed. Arindwen sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. 

"You are tired." The Elf's soft voice reached her ears and her eyes opened. 

"No" she said, annoyed at her weakness. Legolas merely regarded her silent. 

"I will stand watch while you sleep," he said decidedly and rose to his feet with a cat like grace. Arindwen frowned. 

"I didn't ask for your help you know," she said beligerantly. Legolas merely looked at her. Arindwen's frown deepened.

"I suggest you get as much sleep as you can," Legolas said. "You will need it for the journey tomorrow," and with that final word he turned a deaf ear to all her protests that she did NOT need an escourt and could make it to the Palace just fine. Finally, when she realized that he wasn't going to move, she unrolled her sleeping sack and climbed into it, still muttering about high born elves and long blonde hair. The fire died down and Legolas perched himself on a rock, watching the forests with an eagle's eye though he knew that nothing would try to harm this strange woman from the Rohan planes again tonight. 

~*~ ~*~

The sunlight trickled slowly down through the canopy of trees onto the leaf strewn floor, waking Arindwen from a deep sleep. She yawned and stretched out her long slender body. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes sleepily and shook her head. Judging it to be about six in the morning, she yawned again and, looking around her, saw that she was alone. There was so sign of the Elf from last night. Frowning, she stood up and peered into the woods around her, looking for some sign of his passing. Finding none she grunted and rolled up her sleeping sack and returned it to Isendre's back. 

"Good morning, my sweet," she said as she rubbed her horse's nose. Isendre nuzzled her hand, searching for food. Grinning, Arindwen rummaged in one of the packs and brought out more oats. She piled them at the feet of her horse and turned back to her camp. 

"Good morning." Arindwen jumped. The Elf was standing before her, long bow in hand and some dead animal dangling from the other. He was smiling slightly, like a cat who has gotten into the cream. She frowned and pushed past him, muttering a terse "Good morning" in return. 

Legolas watched her back carefully for a moment before crouching down to skin the animal. Arindwen watched him out of the corner of her eye, still distrustful of the Elf who had saved her. 

__

Strange creatures, Elves she thought to herself as she packed up the camp. Soon it was hard to tell that any one had been there the previous night, accept for the fire on which now roasted some strange animal. It smelled good, though and Arindwen's stomach growled impatiently at her. She frowned at her stomach and moved over to Isendre to check her packs. 

"Breakfast," the Elf announced, holding out at chunk of meat to her. She took it gingerly, as it was still hot from the fire, and nibbled carefully. It was surprisingly good. She smiled slightly and sat down near the Elf--Legolas, was it? She could never remember--to finish her meal. 

~*~ ~*~

The sun was high and the road was long and dusty. The horses moved at a quick trot, good for covering large distances in a short amount of time. Arindwen had originally thought that Legolas would be walking until when they were ready to leave, a light grey horse walked into the clearing and stopped by the Elf. Arindwen looked slightly surprised for the horse had come with no whistle of any sort, no call. Then she shrugged. Elves were strange enough. It would be hard to try and sort them out. They had set out on their journey then. 

It was high noon before they stopped by the road. They lunched silently for half an hour before getting back upon their horses and riding again. Along the way, Legolas would occasionally break into soft song, his sweet voice lilting out over the dark and gloomy trees, like sunlight on green grass. During these times, Arindwen would sit silently and listen as the strange words wove themselves practically into pictures before her eyes, telling of the Kings of old and of the ways of the Elves. The conversation was light and neither seemed to feel much like talking, which suited both. It was commonly known that the Elves and the people of the Rohan planes were distrustful of each other, as were Elves with Dwarves. But something about the Elf that rode beside her singing softly made Arindwen rethink the reasons her elders had given her about the distrust between them. None of the seemed to make sense now, under the trees of Mirkwood with a singing Elf beside her. 

She shook her head and rode on, eyes roving the path ahead and the forest off to either side of them. She had been told that roving bands of Orcs sometimes visited Mirkwood and that Giant Spiders lived here. Spiders.. she loathed and detested spiders. The way they crawled and moved, their hairy backs and eight eyes.. She shivered and pulled her cloak more close around her. Legolas stopped singing and looked at her quietly.

"Lle quell, Lady?" he asked her softly. Arindwen looked at him, trying to decipher his words.

"Are you well, Lady?" he repeated in the common tongue. Arindwen smiled slightly and Legolas nodded. 

"I am well, thank you," she replied. A few moments passed between them before she asked "How do you say that in Elvish?". Legolas smiled then, a full smile and Arindwen could not help smiling in return, for when the Elf smiled the whole land around him seemed to be lifted of its burdens. 

"Lle quell," he told her in soft Elvish. 

"Lle quell," she repeated to herself. "Right?" He nodded. "Lle quell.. lle quell," she tested it out on her tongue. It felt good and she smiled once more. Another long moment passed with Arindwen quietly running the phrase over in her mind. Then, "Are there more you can teach me?" she asked suddenly. Legolas looked at her sharply for a moment and Arindwen feared that she had some how offended him when his handsome, fair face broke into a full grin. 

"There are many I can teach you, Lady," he replied, grinning at her. "Some of less importance than other." He smirked at her. "How is this: You already know lle quell: are you well?'. Now try Diola lle: Thank you" 

"Diiola ley" she repeated and frowned at herself. It sounded nothing like what the Elf had said. He laughed.

"No, my Lady. DioLA le," he corrected her. 

"Diola lle," she repeated and immediately smiled. It sounded much better. Legolas nodded, smiling. 

"Good! Try Lle ume quell: You did well" he instructed her. 

"Lle umi quel," she repeated.

"Lle umae quell," he corrected. 

"Lle ume quell," she said and he smiled. 

"Good! Try this," he said and his eyes sparkled with mischief. _Oh dear, _she thought.

"A'maer, lamin wun'd tuhnaer." Arindwen's eyes went wide and the Elf smirked. 

"Ahh... amaer lamine wund tuh.. what?" The Elf laughed and repeated the sentence.

"A'maer, lamin wun'd tuhnaer," she repeated and Legolas nodded.

"Good! Very good." She eyed him suspiciously. Some how this did not sound similar to the simple phrases he had been teaching her.

"What does it mean," she asked him and he shook his head.

"Basically, I will help you', but more then that is not for me to say," and with that he trotted faster down the path. Arindwen stared at his retreating back in puzzlement before spurring Isendre after him. 

~*~ ~*~

The day wore on and the sun began to fall. 

The rest of the day had been spent bantering quietly back and forth, with bits of Elvish thrown in, usually courtesy of Legolas since Arindwen knew only the words he had taught her. She found that he actually had a sense of humor when he permitted it to show and she found that she enjoyed it when he did. It made for better company than having a silent companion by her side. She also discovered that the Elf was a wealth of songs and stories. Arindwen had him sing song after song, marvelling at the way the words didn't seem like words at all but moving pictures, pieces of Elvish history come alive right before her eyes. Finally he declined to sing any more, so they rode along in a companionable silence. 

Before long, the sun began to dip below the trees and sink towards the horizon. 

"We shall have to find a safe place to rest tonight," commented Legolas, his eyes scanning the forest path and the woods to either side. Arindwen nodded and began looking for a campsite. "There!" she pointed to a small dip in the ground to the right of the path, but Legolas wasn't listening. 

"Daro," he commanded and his horse stopped. Arindwen reigned Isendre in and put her hand on the pommel of her sword. 

"What is it?" she whispered. Legolas continued to scan the woods silently, sharp Elven eyes peering through the thinkening gloom of the surrounding forest. 

"It is not safe here, Lady," he said quietly. Arindwen looked at him sharply. He had not called her Lady for over 4 hours and for him to do so now must mean that they were in more trouble than he was letting on. 

"Legolas, what is it?" she asked more urgently. The Elf was silent for a moment considering his words.

"I do not know what it is, but something weighs heavily on my mind.." he said quietly. "Tula. We move quickly and look for another site. This place is not safe." And with that, he spurred his horse into a slow gallop down the road, leaving Arindwen to catch up. She shook her head and hurried after him, never sensing the evil presence behind her. 

She had gotten perhaps three hundred heart beats down the road when the first attack came. 

On to-Part 2


	2. Spiders

Author: Arindwen Greenleaf

Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas nor Mirkwood nor King Thranduil.. Even though I do wish I did..but I DO own Arindwen of Rohan and this plot so don't even THINK of trying to take her or this plot without my permission.. I also own Adanvine as a character, not as a person, cause he's my friend who wanted a cameo. Go figure. Dire consequences will follow.

Rating: R-Violence

Feedback: Desired like said Elf. 

~*~~*~ 

"Lady!" The panicked cry came from the Elf. He had glanced behind his shoulder to make sure Arindwen was following him, only to catch sight of a giant shape moving swiftly through the trees behind the woman. He recognized it a second before it charged onto the path, its many legs moving in an eery skittering dance over the path. 

Arindwen glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the Elf's panicked gaze and let out a truly ear piercing shriek. Spurred on by her mistress' terror, Isendre lept forward at a gallop, heading straight for Legolas. Legolas raised his bow and let an arrow fly right over Arindwen's right shoulder. Alarmed at the closeness of the flight of the arrow, Arindwen swerved to the left. Not a moment too soon, for in the exact same spot where horse and rider had been, a great hairy leg slammed down into the path with a thud. The next moment, there was a second thud as the Elven arrow found its mark. 

The spider let out a shriek of pain and anger, and clawed at its eyes, attempting to dislodge the arrow that now sprouted from its forhead. Grimly, Legolas re-loaded and fired another shot into the spider's hairy flank. The spider shrieked again and tumbled to the ground, rolling off the path, its legs curled up. 

Seeing the spider fall, Arindwen reigned Isendre sharply in and turned to face the elf. He was looking calmy but sternly at her and she felt her cheeks burn. 

"Thanks," she said shortly, still embarrassed at her irrational fear of giant spiders. 

"Lle creoso," Legolas murmured, which Arindwen could only guess ment your welcome'

"Tulacome We must not tarry," Legolas said, turning his horse around to face the path. Arindwen followed silently, fuming at herself.

Shrieked like a little girl.. You can fight off Orcs and Uruk-hai's with not a second thought, but when faced with a spider you run like a startled colt. Stupid!' she thought silently to herself. 

"Do not be so hard on yourself," came the soft voice of the Elf. "It was a natural reaction for you." She grimaced.

"I can fight half the armies of Mordor with hardly any fear but when faced with a giant spider I run like a little girl." Her voice rang with sarcasm and self-loathing. 

"It is all right to-"

"Save it!" she snapped. 

Their horses galloped down the path. Both riders sat stiffly in their saddles, hands on their weapons. Their eyes moved ceaselessly from the path to the sides of the forest, always on guard. Suddenly to both sides of the path the trees began to sway. Their branches rocked from side to side as if blown by a wind they alone felt. But this was no ordinary wind.

"Come! We must hurry!" Legolas cried, for his keen Elven eyes had spotted the cause of the disturbance. His horse lept into a faster gallop and Isendre was hard pressed to keep up with the fast pace of the Elvish horse. 

"Where are they and how many?" Arindwen shouted at the Elf s back.

"In the trees and many," he answered. Arindwen muttered a coarse curse and sped after the Elf's swiftly retreating back. 

Unexpectedly, a spider launched itself out of the trees towards Legolas. He turned but it was already too late for him to nock an arrow. 

"Forth Eorlingas!" The shrill Rohan cry split the air. The spider was suddenly knocked off course and send tumbling away, a throwing knife in its side. Legolas turned a slightly shocked gaze at the Rohan woman who sat in her saddle, glaring at the dead spider. She nodded once, crisply at him. Then, all hell broke loose.

Spiders suddenly flew from every direction through the air, their dark and bulbous bodies colliding with the two riders, who went sprawling onto the forest path. Arindwen rolled over and over, trying desperately to stop herself, but the Elf jumped right back up and, an arrow already nocked, sent it flying into the heart of the hairy oncoming horde. 

Arindwen suddenly collided with something thin, hard and hairy. She shook her head to clear it from the dizzying roll down the path and looked up and froze. Above her was a huge, fat, hairy spider and she had collided with one of its eight legs. It looked down at her now, its eight eyes staring unblinkingly at her. It hissed. Arindwen tried hard not to panic. She knew that would get her nowhere, but it was so hard not to when faced with something this disgusting. 

"Oooh a pretty! Nice and plump! Good for eating.." the spider hissed and clicked. Arindwen's face contorted with anger and annoyance. I'm not plump!' The spider leaned over her and one of its legs moved towards her as if to poke her flesh. With a cry, Arindwen rolled away from the spider and onto her feet, her sword flying into her hand. She glanced quickly over her should at the Elf who was madly firing arrows into the spiders surroundng him. He looked to be unharmed as she watched his long silken blond hair fly around his fair face as he did a dance of steely death around said creatures, his arrows now all spent. 

"Ahh.. a pretty young one! Pretty and tender enough to eat! But with a Sting!" Arindwen's head whipped back to the spider facing her. She was surprised to hear something close to loathing and fear filling the spider's voice. 

"Ahh! A Sting indeed!" said a new voice to the right of the first one. "Sting.. we've not encountered a Sting like that since a foolish part of Dwarves wandered into trouble" Here it paused to laugh creakily. "What an awful fright we gave them! But how tender ad plump they were..!"

Arindwen grimaced and with a yell cut the legs out from under the second spider. It yelped and rolled away.

"This is one pretty you won't get!" she cried as she cut down the first. It collapsed and rolled away to join its brethren. 

"Elendiel!" The cry came from the Elf who had long since run out of arrows and was now fighting with his long daggers. Arindwen rushed to help when suddenly an agonizing pain filled her right shoulder. She froze and as her arm went numb, her sword dropped from her lifeless fingers. She gasped as she felt the spider venom swiftly permeate her body, numbing her from head to toes.

"Ahh. Legolas!" she cried piteously as darkness nipped at her vision. He turned and horror filled his eyes. "Help me" she whispered and finally collapsed to the ground in an ungraceful heap. Before total darkness closed in on her, she heard Legolas crying out in Elvish though the words made no sense to her.

"Noro lim, noro lim! Rima'a tel' kard en' Thranduil!" Darkness finally filled her vision, enveloping her in its shadowy arms.

~*~ ~*~

"It was a sharp struggle, but worth it!" said one voice. "What nasty skins they have to be sure, but I'll wager there is good juice inside."

"Aye, they'll make fine eating when they've hung a bit" said another

"Don't hang em too long," said a third. "They're not as fat as they might be."

"Kill em I say" hissed a fourth. "Kill em now and hang em dead for a while."

"They're dead now I'll warrant," said the first.

"That they're not! I saw one a-struggling just now, just coming round again I should say, after a beee-autiful sleep! I'll show you!"

With that, one of the fat spiders ran along a rope til it came to two bundles hanging side by side from a high branch. The other spiders watched as the first one moved along the branch to the larger of the two bundles. This one had a green boot sticking out and strands of long blond hair stuck to the spider webbing encasing it. The spider nipped hard at the toes in the boot. There was a muffled yelp inside the webbing and the foot the spider had been trying to eat came up and kicked the spider hard. There was a noise like the kicking of a flabby football, and the enraged spider fell off the branch, only catching itself with its own thread just in time.

The other's laughed. "You were quite right!" they said, "the meat's alive and kicking!"

"I'll soon put an end to that!," hissed the angry spider, climbing back onto the branch. 

During the past two seconds, the two bundles had begun struggling. Suddenly there appeared a cut in the larger of the bundle's webbing. A few more seconds, a few more cuts, and a long slender hand appeared, grasping the webbing and ripping it open. Then Legolas' head emerged, soft but now sticky hair falling in his face. He breathed deeply before struggling to pull his foot through. The spiders around him, seeing their dinner escaping, started hissing and clicking furiously at eachother.

"Its getting away!" said one.

"Stop it!" said another. 

Legolas fuiously kicked and yanked, finally getting his foot through the hole it had been stuck in. He now dangled upside down with only the webbing supporting him. Trying desperately to make sense of his surroundings, he noticed through the light mist that hung before his eyes that the bundle that was Arindwen was rocking side to side. He shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to dispell the fog before his eyes, and reached over, carefully slashing a gap in the woman's webbing. There was a pause in the struggling and then the gap was widened by a small dagger. A hand reached out and tore away part of the webbing and Arindwen's head emerged. She gasped for air like a drowning person. 

"My lady, we have little time," said Legolas quickly, for he had noticed that the spiders were closing in on them, running on branches through the trees and along their own webbing rope. "We must escape quickly." Arindwen blinked at him and shook her head. 

"All right" she gasped out. "How?"

"We must drop to the ground and try to run." Arindwen raised an eyebrow at him and cut more of the webbing away with her dagger. 

"How're we going to—" She was cut off by the arrival of the spider who had tried to eat the Elf's foot. 

"Oooh look.. the pretties are trying to get away!" it hissed menacingly. "But.. where will they go? No help around for miles!" it cackled. Legolas and Arindwen glared at it. 

"And I suppose a great big fat Attercop like yourself is going to stop us?" Arindwen asked and the spider hissed with rage. Of all the names to call a spider, the one they detest the most is Attercop for it is a grave insult indeed. Said spider puffed up with rage and turned. Webbing shot from the spider and began coiling around Arindwen's bundle. 

"Ahh!" she cried, the webbing quickly running up and down her already encased legs and waist. "Legolas! Do something!" The Elf reached out a hand.

"Take my hand!" Arindwen transferred her dagger to her left hand and grasped the Elf's with her right. He pulled her slowly from the webbing and she helped by kicking and slashing at the newly forming ropes. Finally her waist emerged. Legolas gave one huge heave and Arindwen fell free of the webbing, dangling in the Elf's grasp. 

"Don't you DARE let me fall!" she snapped at the Elf. He frowned at her.

"I will not let you fall. I promise," he said softly. Laboriously he pulled her up into his arms. His face mere inches from her's he whispered, "We must jump. Hold on tightly to me." She nodded and the Elf lept from the cocoon he had rested in. The spiders had clustered around the bundles, desperately spinning their webs to try and keep the two people from escaping. Now they howled in anger and rage at seeing their dinner escaping.

"After them!" hissed one. "Don't let them escape!"

"We should've killed em when we had the chance!" grated a second. 

"Head em off! Head em off!!" creaked a third. 

Legolas flew through the air and landed with a thud, dropping to his knees and rolling to minimize the force of the landing. Arindwen was clutched in his arms, protected from the fall by the Elf's body. Quickly they both got up and stumbled towards the edge of the clearing, holding onto each other for support. 

"Stop!" hissed a spider. Arindwen cut its legs out from under it and stumbled on by. Legolas followed, still trying to clear the mist before his eyes.

"Lady why do we stumble so?" he asked quietly. Arindwen paused.

"I think it is because of the venom we were poisoned with," she said wearily. They reached the edge of the clearing, only to be met by a wall of webbing the spiders had spun to keep them in. 

"Shit," Arinwen muttered to herself, turning around to face the clearing. Before her eyes the clearing looked misty and blurry, as though a heavy fog lay over her eyes. She shook her head to rid herself of the fog, but the clearing titled crazily and she swayed where she stood. 

"Lady," Legolas murmured in her ear, his arms around her, holding her up. 

"What?"

"Lend me your dagger. I will get us away from here." Arindwen frowned at the blurry shape of the Elf. 

"I am perfectly capable of getting us out of here by myself, thank you very much," she snapped. Legolas shook his head and seized the knife from her fingers. "Hey!" He turned, an arm still around her shoulders and slashed at the webbing that was spun across the trees. A hissing and shrieking suddenly split the air and the spiders flew through the trees towards them. 

"Legolas.." Arindwen whispered frantically, knowing only that the blurry shapes in her field of vision were almost upon them. Legolas slashed once more and the webs gave way. He scooped her up into his arms and dashed through the hole he had made, the shrieks of the spiders following them. Through the trees the nimble Elf ran, the Rohan woman held securely in his arms, not complaining this time. Suddenly Legolas stumbled over a hidden log and they both went crashing to the forest floor. Looking up, they knew they were done for. Spiders now filled the trees above them and more were skittering towards them on the ground. Arindwe sat up and stared around with a panic filled gaze. 

"We are truly done for now," she whispered. Legolas didn't think to argue with her. 

"Attercop! Attercop!" The insult ran clearly through the forest. The spiders froze as did the two people. "Attercop!" Attercop! Lazy, fat Attercop!" The spiders started shrieking again and took off through the trees towards the voice. Only three were left to guard the two beings on the ground. Arindwen and Legolas exchanged astonished glances, and Arindwen shrugged. Handing her knife to the Elf, she struggled to her feet.

"Kill it," she said, indicating the spider nearest him. Legolas threw the knife. Arindwen grabbed a long pointed stick from the ground, turned, and ran it through the hairy flank of the nearest creature. It died with a shrill scream. The last spider, having watched the murder of his brethren, took off through the forest, not bothering to look back. Arindwen and Legolas looked after it. Then Legolas grabbed her hand. 

"Come, Lady," he said and led her, stumbling through the forest. 

~*~~*~

"Does this forest have an end?" Arindwen asked Legolas after they had been travelling for a good half an hour.

"Yes," he answered shortly. Arindwen glanced at him but he refused to look at her.

"You are angry with me," she said. There was a pause.

"Yes and no."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Another pause.

"I am not angry at you for trying to help me. I am angry at you for _resisting _my help so often." He turned and nailed her with a steely blue-grey gaze. "Do you do this with every one who tries to help you?" Arindwen was silent. "Yes, you must." They continued walking for some time, each contemplating what the other had said.

"I am sorry for seeming rude and for not allowing you to assist me. But you must understand that, yes, I am this way with almost every one I know. I have to be." Her voice was filled with bitterness and self-loathing. Legolas glanced at her and found her studying the forest floor.

"Why?" 

"I am in command of my father's archery unit, which is composed entirely of men. Therefore, being the only woman, I must be strong in order to prove myself time and again so that they will not think me a weak and useless female." Anger touched her voice but there were underlying currents of sorrow there that the Elf picked up on. He reached out and touched her shoulder. 

"I did not know. Forgive me," he murmured softly. Arindwen started to wave his comment off and then stopped.

"Thank you, my friend." The Elf's eyes widened. 

"You are welcome, Lady," he responded.

~*~

An hour or so later, they came upon a small clearing in the woods. Here the sunlight was able to pierce the dark forest canopy and it now flooded the glade with light. They both stopped, awed by what they say.

"We will rest here tonight," Legolas whispered. The Rohan woman nodded, too stunned by the beauty surrounding her to comment otherwise. The Elf found a tree to sit against and Arindwen joined him, still staring at the sunlight that filtered in but now with heavy eyes. She yawned and made to curl up in the roots of the tree when Legolas stopped her. 

"It would be more comfortable, Lady, if you should sleep here," he indicated his arms. Arindwen's eyes widened and her eyebrow rose. Legolas blushed but it was only a slight change in the coloring of his fair cheeks. "I will never compromise your honor, Lady. Ever." 

"I see," she said. "Then in that case, thank you." She scooted nearer to him and let him enclose her in his arms. 

"Lle creoso, my Lady," he said softly. Together they fell asleep. 

~*~

Morning, found the two of them refreshed and awake. Searching the brush near by, Legolas found some berries and roots for them to eat. The roots were bitter but filling and before long they were on their way through the forest once again. Once Arindwen asked if this was the way to the path and Legolas answered that it was. Satisfied, the woman fell silent once more, content to just observe the dark forest all around them. 

Lunch found them eating much of the same foods they had consumed for breakfast. Then, an hour after lunch, they came upon the path. 

"Ahh! You were right!" Arindwen exclaimed. The Elf laughed. 

"I usually am, my Lady, for I know these woods very well." Arindwen smiled.

"So tell me, Legolas, how old are you?" The Elf raised an eyebrow at her question and she quickly added: "No offence was ment." He laughed.

"I am, my lady, 2,931 years old." Arindwen stared at him. 

"But you look so young. How can this be?" He smiled.

"Elves do not age like humans do. Elves are immortal and therefore time has no effect on our us. We simply continue to live. Unless, of course, we are killed. We can be wounded by a mortal weapon and die, but it is seldom seen," he explained.

"Ooh.. I see." There was a pause. "Then it must be wonderful to be an Elf." Legolas smiled.

"Sometimes, but it is not always so. Elves remember everything that Man forgets. We never forget the wrongs done a people or the mistakes other's have commited. So in some ways it is not always so wonderful to be an Elf. There are many things that I have witnessed that I wish I could forget. But it is not to be, so I must continue on." Arindwen nodded.

"Yes I can see that happening." 

Farther along the road, the two beings were walking silently together, both lost in thought. Suddenly a cry split the air.

"Legolas! Legolas!" The voice sounded off to their right and quite suddenly an Elf dropped from the trees onto the path. Legolas and Arindwen both jumped, and Arindwen went to reach for her weapon that was not there, when her companion lept at the new comer.

"Adanvine! How good it is to see you! What were you doing up there?" he asked him. Adanvine grinned at Legolas.

"Waiting for you, my old friend. It did take you a long time to get here. Did the woman slow your progress?" he asked with a cheeky wink. Arindwen's eyebrows rose at his comment and Legolas, seeing this, quickly said, "No, Adanvine, she is a warrior from Rohan, sent by King Theoden. She deserves your utmost respect." Adanvine sobered and turned to the woman.

"For give me my words, my Lady. I meant no disrespect." He bowed low before her and then straightened, meeting her sardonic gaze. Arindwen finally got a good look at the young Elf. He was fair of face as Legolas was, but his hair was a dark blue, almost black, and his eyes were black as coals. But in those eyes she saw merriment and laughter hiding and so found herself smiling.

"I forgive you, Adanvine. Just never say it again." He nodded.

"Never, Lady." Legolas then touched his shoulder.

"What news of home, Adan?" Here the young Elf became animated once again. 

"You have missed much, brother, since you left. Our Lord held a banquet for the Lady Tranduvill who sang such songs as to make the stars weep." He sighed happily. "Even Lord Thranduil wept, and that is a rare thing indeed, as you know." Legolas nodded. 

"I am sorry to have missed the Lady sing. Is she still at the palace?" Adanvine nodded.

"She will be there for one more week and will sing every night for us. We owe her a great debt of gratitude, my old friend." They both smiled and Arindwen found herself wondering just how similar they were. "But now I have found you and your Lady friend, and we shall finish the last of the journey with song and laughter. Come!" With this exclamation, Adanvine lept forward down the path, singing a bawdy drinking song at the top of his lungs. Arindwen grinned amusedly and glanced at Legolas who was also grinning.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"After you," he said, and they both moved forward at a run, chasing the singing Elf. 

On to Part 3. 


	3. Mirkwood

Author: Arindwen Greenleaf

Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas nor Mirkwood nor King Thranduil.. Even though I do wish I did..but I DO own Arindwen of Rohan and this plot so don't even THINK of trying to take her or this plot without my permission.. Dire consequences will follow. I also own Adanvine as a character, not as a person, cause he's my friend who wanted a cameo. Go figure. 

Rating: R-Violence

Feedback: Desired like said Elf.

~*~

Throughout the day, the small party of three made their way to the Palace of Thranduil.Legolas and Adanvine walked side by side, speaking quietly in Elvish. Arindwen studied the dark-haired Elf from the corner of her eye. There was something strange about him, something Arindwen couldn't put her finger on. _I thought all Elves had blonde or brown hair.. Not black. _As they walked, the sun began to dip below the unseen horizon and the shadows of the trees lengthened. As the sun left its lofty position in the sky, Arindwen once again began to feel a familiar sense of sleepiness stealing over her. She yawned and shook her head, annoyed at herself for showing such weakness in front of such untiring creatures. 

Sighing she forced her now tired legs to keep on moving, as the forest darkened and creatures began to stir. 

She frowned, her mind once again drifting back to Adanvine and his strange appearance. Out of curiosity she glanced over at the two Elves who had their heads together in some sort of private discussion. As if her felt her gaze, Adanvine glanced up and locked eyes with Arindwen. Arindwen gazed into his black, bottomless eyes and for a split second saw.. what? She once again couldn't put her finger on it, but this feeling of.. _wrongness _seemed to prevade throughout her. Adanvine went back to his conversation and they walked on.

Later, an hour or so after the sun had sunk behind the far mountains, Arindwen started to notice signs of Elven life. Though most Elves lived inside the palace grounds, a few more daring and adventurous folk lived in the trees just a few kilometers from the walls. This being Arindwen's first time truly amongst such "noble folk" as most people called them, she turned her gaze upwards and stared at the tree top dwellings in which movement could be seen. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she turned her gaze back down to the road ahead of them. The trail was becoming more and more hard-packed and easier to walk on, and Arindwen knew that in a few minutes time she would be coming face to face with the king of Mirkwood Elves, Lord Thranduil. This prospect scared and excited her at the same time, for she was eager to request military assistance from the High Lord for her father, King Theoden. This was the biggest mission she had ever taken the responsibility of and though she would never admit it, it frightened her that Thranduil would not accept her plea. What if.. 

A light tap on her arm brought her back from her thoughts and worries. Legolas was standing by her, smiling. He nodded ahead.

"Soon you shall see the Palace of Lord Thranduil, my Lady. And it is not a sight you shall soon forget." He smiled once more and Arindwen nodded her understanding. A few meters on, around a bend, and there were the Palace walls. Tall gleaming (white?) walls stood out from the rich lushness of the forest. Though no guards patrolled the walls, Arindwen knew that they were there, hiding as only Elves could do. And sure enough she was right.

"My Prince! My Prince! You have returned!" A young Elf lept down from a tree and landed lightly on the path a little ways ahead of them. "Welcome back, my Prince! Your father is waiting for you." Legolas smiled and the young elf's gaze slid from Adanvine to the young woman who stood by his Princes' side. Legolas, seeing his gaze, saved the poor young elf from any embarrassing statements he might have made.

"She is the daughter of King Theoden, a Warrior of Rohan," he explained. Immediately the young elf stiffened and became more alert. Arindwen grimaced. Must he always introduce her like that? He was going to get her killed one of these days. "She is here on a mission from her father and will be treated with the highest respect she deserves." The elf bowed stiffly and said "Welcome, Lady." 

"Greetings," said Arindwen, still slightly put-off by the reaction her title was getting from all of these fantastic creatures. The elf turned his gaze back to Legolas and the little party started forward, led by the elf. 

"Your father expects you at Evening Meal which will commense in an hour. You will have time to rest and refresh your selves before the banquet." Legolas nodded.

"Thank you, Calborn." The elf nodded and pushed the heavy wall doors open. 


	4. Mirkwood Cont

"My Prince," said Caleborn, as he bowed them through the doors. Legolas nodded, and they proceeded through the entry way. Inside the passage was lit with red torch-light, making their reflections dance and shimmer on the smooth stone walls. The air was surprisingly clean and refreshing for being underneath the ground, and Arindwen breathed it in. Another gentle touch on her arm brought her attention around to Adanvine. He leaned in slightly and said, "My Lady. Soon shall you see why Mirkwood is renowned for its hospitality." She nodded slightly and he stepped back, smiling to himself. Strange, that one. Must be the hair, she thought to herself. Finally the passage way came to an end and emptied them out into a lovely indoor grotto. Water splashed somewhere and Elves strolled through the encompassing area singing ethereal Elven chants. Crawling vines ran from floor to ceiling and across, blooming in large purple and gold blossoms; hanging down from the ceiling, they made the area seem even more magickal. Arindwen stared at the sight before her, marveling at how the blossoms shook in an unfelt breeze. "Lady?" Legolas was at her elbow, looking questioningly at her. "Yes, sorry?," she said, trying to shake off the almost overwhelmingly magickal feeling of the area. "Your room is this way. If you would follow me..?" She nodded and they started off down another corridor, this one also lined with torches. Arches within the left side of the wall permitted easy access to the grotto and doors on the right opened up into rooms. Half way down the corridor, her Elf guide stopped and opened a door. Motioning inside, he said "This shall be your room while you remain in Mirkwood. Some one will come to escort you to the banquet this evening in one hour's time. You may refresh your self or walk around the palace if you so chose." She nodded and thanked him and stepped into her new room. The door closed softly behind her as she studied her surroundings. To her left was a large comfortable looking bed with a nightstand next to it. A basin of water rested on a tabletop by the room's only window and a little towel sat beside the bowl and pitcher of water. To her right side, there was a door leading to what obviously must be the bathroom. Stepping through the doorway, she found herself in a cozy circular room. In the middle was a sunken tub that was conveniently filled with what appeared to be hot water. To her left was a tall mirror; snugly fit into an alcove in the wall, and to her right was a small closet space for clothing. Grinning, she stripped off her filthy clothing and hopped into the hot bath. Sighing, she sank below the water line, letting the water work its self through her hair and over her skin. Surfacing, she looked around and spotted a small jar next to the tub. Opening it she found it contained some sort of liquid soap that smelled of Jasmine. Smiling, she dipped a hand into the liquid and began to wash. She scrubbed the soap over her arms and down her sides to her long legs, making sure to scrub between her toes that had some how become dirty. Taking more of the soap in her hands, she rubbed it on to her breasts and neck area, grimacing as her hand came away with dark brown grime. She submerged herself in the water, washing off the sweet smelling soap and applying some of it to her hair and face. Finally she fully submerged herself in the water and washed it all off. Surfacing, she rubbed the water from her face and gasped. "Who are you and what are you doing in here?!" A slender female Elf stood before her, her arms filled with Arindwen's dirty traveling clothes. The Elf bowed before her. "I beg your pardon, my Lady. I am called Vilya and I am to assist you during your stay here. Should you ever need me, please call." She curtsied and walked out of the room. Arindwen stared after her in slight shock and turned to find a beautiful cream colored dress hanging in the mirror alcove. Smiling, she shook her head and rinsed off the rest of the soap from her body. Toweling off, she stepped over to the alcove and discovered some white linen underwear below the dress. Putting them on, she stood looking at the dress. "Do you require assistance, my Lady?" Vilya's soft voice sounded behind her. Arindwen jumped and turned slightly. "I wish you wouldn't sneak up on me like that, Vilya." "I am sorry, my Lady. I do not mean to" "Its alright. Yes if you could help me into this I would greatly appreciate it." She smiled and removed the dress from the hanger. Vilya smiled shyly and helped her into it, closing the clasps on the back. "May I help you with your hair, my Lady?" Vilya asked, once Arindwen had been dressed. "Please. I never know what to do with it." Arindwen smiled and sat down at her sunken wall mirror. Vilya moved up behind her and began combing her hair.  
  
Half an hour later, Arindwen opened the door to a soft knock. A tall male Elf stood next to her door. He bowed and extended an arm. "I am to lead you to the banquet this evening. Please, if you will." He motioned to his arm and Arindwen took it somewhat hesitantly. In Rohan it was customary for a woman to bear arms to protect herself. Balls were not thrown in Rohan as there was no need for them. The people chose instead to tend to their houses and stables, leaving extravagant balls to others, such as Elves. Arindwen's guide led her through halls she had not yet had the chance to explore, their slippered feet whispering against the smooth stone floor. 


End file.
